Thomas Mitchell who cut his hand on the abandoned car is seen with Ruth Hagan, left, and mum Marie Mitchell

Burnt out and abandoned cars are making life a misery for a Clifton resident who says her street has become a dumping ground.

Ruth Hagan, 42, of Crombie Avenue, Clifton, is calling for the police to act because she is sick of wrecked cars being dumped and left in a dangerous state outside her house.

This week a friend's son was injured when he went to retrieve a ball and cut himself on shards of glass and Mrs Hagan fears the hazard caused when cars are set on fire will eventually result in someone suffering a serious injury.

She said: "A car will be dumped there and will stay there for a couple of days and then somebody will come along and set fire to it.

"The kids are on holiday this week and you know what kids are like they can't leave things alone.

"Now my friend's son has cut his hand and it's a real danger.

"I've reported it to the police and they haven't done anything.

"It's the children that I'm worried about and if somebody sets fire to it and the wind's blowing in the wrong direction who knows what damage could be caused, never mind if the petrol tank has anything left in it."

Marie Mitchell, whose son Thomas, 11, was hurt when she was visiting Mrs Hagan, said: "It's just mindless vandalism but having said that someone has to be responsible for it being there."

Sergeant Dave Kirby, of York Police, said: "If there's a registered keeper of the vehicle it's up to them to move it - it may have just broken down.

"If we don't know the registered keeper or if the vehicle's in a bad state of repair the council puts a seven day notice on the vehicle and will then remove it.

"If it's a stolen vehicle we will notify the keeper so they can arrange recovery or we'll have it recovered if we want it because it has been involved in a crime.

"It could also be down to the insurance company to recover it - it's never a simple matter."

He said that in this case his officers had been called out to look at the vehicle but when they had arrived it had gone.

Now that it has reappeared he said someone would be sent out immediately.

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